Pilikia Me Danny
by pixiegold
Summary: Steve is worried about Danny.  Danny's shocking behavior at the graveyard has only increased Steve's concern.  Coda for Ka Iwi Kapu'.


**Disclaimer:** Hawaii 5-0 and characters belong to CBS, would be nice to live in Hawaii and work for 5-0 alas, that's not the case.

**Summary:** Steve is worried about Danny. Danny's shocking behavior at the graveyard has only increased Steve's concern. Coda for Ka Iwi Kapu'.

**Pilikia Me Danny  
>Problem With Danny<br>**

The case was closed and the paperwork complete. Steve wasn't finding his usual satisfaction in closing a case successfully. He couldn't get over Danny's attitude about the cultural/religious beliefs of many Hawaiians that included Chin, Kono and to some degree himself. Something had been off since Steve had been cleared and Five-0 was reinstated. Steve finally realized that he missed Danny, that man who had become his friend over the last year.

Danny wasn't the man that Steve had gotten to know and love like a brother. This Danny was angry all the time not even the mention of Grace could keep Danny happy. Danny had always been a contrary and contentious person and seemed to like to argue; well he liked to do it with Steve anyway. It was how they worked out their problems. But this was different; Danny had been outright mean lately and was studiously avoiding Steve while encouraging their resident spy. Nor would he talk to Steve about what was really bothering him. Steve knew that Danny may have decided that he and Rachel wouldn't have worked out, but that didn't mean that he wasn't hurt by finding out that he wasn't going to be a father again, something that Steve knew that Danny really wanted. Normally Danny didn't hesitate to talk with Steve about his problems whether it was Stan, Grace, use of explosives, didn't matter because Danny dealt with things by talking or ranting. Steve had always known where Danny stood. Now, Steve was clueless.

Steve decided it was time to get Danny to open up. Only problem was how. Steve looked at the picture of his mom sitting on his desk and knew how he was going to get Danny to talk. Steve decided to approach Danny in the morning since it was late and they were all tired. Not the best time to have a confrontation.

The next morning, Steve briefly spoke to Chin and Kono saying that he and Danny needed to talk and didn't want to be disturbed unless the case was urgent. The cousins agreed knowing that this had been coming for awhile. They too had noticed Danny's odd behavior.

Steve walked into Danny's office carrying two coffees. He set Danny's coffee in front of him.

Danny looked at Steve suspiciously. "Alright, what do you want? Don't even try and give me an innocent face. You never bring me coffee. Therefore you must want something from me."

Steve smirked. Trust Danny to attempt to derail him without even trying. "You're right; I have a couple of questions."

Danny groaned. What would his determined partner ask him now? "Lay it on me."

Steve sat down facing Danny. "Can you tell me why people think praying to a statue or picture of Mary can help them? It's just a piece of art after all. Do people really think that bathing in some spring water can cure them spontaneously when doctors can't? It's just ridiculous…"

Steve was interrupted by an angry Danny. "How dare you talk like that about my mother's beliefs! I thought you were supposed to be this open minded person! You don't know the meaning of it if you can ask questions like that!" Danny continued his tirade until he realized that Steve was sitting calmly. Not a good sign, Steve was either really pissed or he had set Danny up somehow.

Steve waited until he had Danny's attention before standing up scowling. He was now pissed. Even though he had been trying to get a reaction Danny's attitude still made him angry. "Let me get this straight. It's not okay for me to mock or question the beliefs of people like your mother but it's okay for you to mock the beliefs of the Hawaiian people? You know, people like Chin, Kono and me. That's okay with you? I'm not sure what's happened but you're not the man who I chose as a partner, a man I thought I knew. That man may not like Hawaii and doesn't hesitate to say so, but you have never disrespected someone else's personal beliefs like you did at the grave yard. I know you're hurting though you've been denying it. Your efforts to deny your pain have made you a stranger. I'm willing to listen when you're ready to talk about what happened to my best friend making him the stranger standing in front of me. I miss my kaikua'ana."

Danny watched Steve leave nonplussed. Steve hammered him pretty hard. Most people would look at Steve and think all brawn and no brains. Danny knew better, even if when he called Steve a Neanderthal he respected Steve's intelligence. When Steve chose to take out his intelligence and use it, it was time to listen. Therefore, Danny reflected on his reactions at the graveyard and realized that Steve was right. He had outright mocked the idea that the burial place was sacred and insulted Chin's beliefs while he was at it. He needed to think. He sent a text letting Steve know that he was taking some personal time as of right now. Danny knew that Steve would call him if there was an emergency.

Danny drove aimlessly until he reached Pearl Harbor. He got out of the car and sat on the bench facing the US Missouri. This was the place that Danny learned that Steve could be a loyal friend and had the instincts to be a good cop.

After some serious soul searching Danny realized that in an effort to shut out the pain of losing Rachel and his desired family he was shutting everyone out. Steve, his emotionally stunted best friend had tried to get him to talk about losing Rachel but Danny hadn't wanted to feel the pain so he denied, and deflected Steve's overtures. He went so far as to not spend too much time with Steve after hours something that he had enjoyed in the past. He realized that he missed hanging out with Steve. Danny had been reverting to the person who had first arrived in Hawaii. That Danny was not someone he had really liked especially after joining Five-0 and finding ohana. Danny didn't want to be that person again; he wasn't in a good place then. Danny was particularly ashamed of the way he had behaved at the burial site. It was time to talk to Steve even if it meant feeling the pain of loss. It would be worth it in the end if Danny could get past it and be the person Steve called kaikua'ana. Danny didn't want to lose Steve's friendship, more he didn't want to lose his brother.

Danny called Steve.

"_Danny."_

"Can you meet me at the US Missouri? I'd like to talk with you."

_There was a short pause before Steve answered. "I'll be there in 20."_

"Mahalo." Danny hung up and waited for Steve to arrive. He tried to think of what he wanted to say to Steve.

Danny's thoughts were interrupted by Steve sitting on the bench. "Danno. What can I do for you?" Steve's voice was void of emotion. Steve wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel. He had done some thinking himself when Danny had left the building. He was disappointed in Danny but he also realized that he hadn't been the best friend lately either. After his initial overtures had been brushed off, Steve had backed off not knowing how to proceed had stopped. He now realizes that he should have kept trying or at least kept trying to get Danny to spend time relaxing at his house. Steve was determined to make up for it now. He prepared to listen.

Danny sighed. "I'm sorry Steve. I owe Chin and Kono an apology too. You were right; I had no right to mock the cultural/religious beliefs of the local people which include the three of you. It is very different from complaining about pineapple on pizza."

Steve looked at Danny. "Why, Danny, why would you say things like that about our beliefs? Are you that angry with me because you were forced to stay in Hawaii and help get me cleared instead of being able to go back to New Jersey? Do you blame me because Rachel decided to go back to Stan?"

"What? No! You could have listened to me when I told you not to confront the governor, but it was my choice to stay and help my best friend." Danny sighed rubbing a hand over his face realizing that a small part of him **had** blamed Steve even though the man had been framed. Danny sighed deciding for total honesty. It would be the only way to fix things between them. "Okay, maybe a small part of me did blame you. Only because I was so angry at losing my family again I needed a target for that anger. That was never fair to you. I should have been directing my anger at the person who is really responsible for it. Rachel. Rachel decided my decision to stay and help you meant that I valued my job over my family."

Steve interrupted Danny. "Then Rachel is stupid. I think that Rachel was testing you by dropping a bomb on you making you chose her or everything else including your friends. I think that she knew that you chose your friend your job but is punishing you because you didn't choose **her**. If your ex-wife really knew the Danny Williams I know, she would have known that you could not leave a friend in trouble just as you wouldn't let HPD smear Meka's good name. If this whole mess with Rachel isn't my fault then it's not yours either. It's all on her. I know that sounded like I told you so and I'm sorry. I just can't let you shoulder something that doesn't belong to you."

Danny stared at Steve. He sometimes forgot that Steve could read people and situations really well despite his seeming lack of people skills. He turned looking at the Missouri while he thought about what Steve said and realized that he had a point. Danny had been too emotional at the time to think about it and had tried **not** to think about it since. Rachel was normally a planner, liked lists and was highly organized. Leaving Stan and Hawaii on the spur of the moment was totally out of character for her. He slumped. He looked up when he felt Steve's hand on his shoulder.

"Talk to me Danny. You need to get all of it off your chest. I'm here; I'm ready and willing to listen. I want to help **my** friend."

Danny nodded and began to talk. He talked about his excitement at thinking Rachel was pregnant with his child. He talked about the shock, anger and frustration at Steve's arrest. He talked about the pain of finding out that the baby wasn't his and that Rachel was going back to Stan for the baby's sake. How that hurt him when he realized that she hadn't been willing to work things out with him for Grace's sake.

Steve talked about his feelings when he was arrested and his flight from the law. How grateful he was that Danny stayed to help even as he felt guilty for keeping him from Grace.

The two men talked until the sun went down. When they finally left and headed to Steve's for some food and beer, they both felt better. Things would never go back to the way they were, but Steve and Danny knew that they were rebuilding their friendship and would make it stronger. Now both men knew in their minds **and** hearts that they were not as alone as they once thought. It was a comforting thought.

**PAU**


End file.
